1917-03-22 Benny Leonard W-RTD9 Packy Hommey [Fairmont Athletic Club, Bronx, NY, USA]

1917-03-23 New-York Tribune (New York, NY) (page 14)

Benny Leonard Stops Hommey in the Ninth

Benny Leonard disposed of Packey Hommey in the ninth round at the Fairmont A. C. last night. A right to the jaw sent Packey to the floor, and when the bell rang for the tenth session Packey's seconds tossed in the sponge. It was Leonard's fight all the way.

Frankie Daly shaded Joe Burman in the ten-round bantam bout.


1917-03-23 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, NY) (page S2)
Benny Leonard gave a masterly exhibition of shadow boxing at the Fairmount Athletic Club in Manhattan last night, using Packey Hommey as the shadow for eight rounds when he suddenly remembered he was in a fight and finished his man in the ninth round. Hommey was in such bad shape that his manager refused to let him come out for the tenth.

In another ten-rounder Joe Burman beat Frankie Daly all the way, winning with a left jab and a right cross. Burman, who has been touted as a comer, failed to show any claim to distinction, displaying a notable absence of aggressiveness.


1917-03-23 The New York Times (New York, NY)

Leonard Trounces Hommey.

Benny Leonard, the popular Harlem contender for championship honors in the lightweight class, administered such a severe beating to Packey Hommey, the east side boxer, in their bout scheduled for ten rounds last night at a special show of the Fairmont A. C. of the Bronx that Hommey was unable to answer the call for the tenth round. Leonard outclassed and overwhelmed his opponent from the start of the bout. In the other ten-round bout Joe Burman, the Chicago bantamweight, and Frankie Daly of Staten Island furnished an interesting draw.


1917-03-23 The Sun (New York, NY) (page 13)

HOMMEY IS STOPPED BY BENNY LEONARD
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Fails to Respond to Call in Tenth Round in Fairmont A. C. Bout.
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PACKEY BADLY BEATEN
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By GEORGE B. UNDERWOOD.

A combination of boxing skill that hasn't been seen since the palmy days of Young Griffo and a terrific right hand punch enabled Benny Leonard of Harlem to give Packy Hommey such a lacing that the little Italian's manager wisely refused to allow Hommey to come to scratch for the tenth round in their bout at the Fairmont A. C. last night.

A wiser and more humane action would have been for Referee Billy Joh to have stopped the bout as early as the eighth round. At that stage Leonard had Hommey hopelessly beaten and there was no reason for his being subjected to another round of needless and dangerous punishment.

With every hit, stop and getaway of the manly art at his glove tips, fast with both feet and hands, alert and quick of thought as he was cool and collected of demeanor, timing his punches splendidly and showing a fine judgment of distance, Leonard had Hommey at his mercy. Benny feinted his opponent into bowknots, creating openings through which he crashed lefts and rights with the accuracy of a sharpshooter's bullet. He rolled and twisted around most of Hommey's leads. He blocked or ducked others. A few wild left hand swings which Leonard took going away were all the punches poor Packy could land.

For seven rounds Leonard was content to give Hommey a boxing lesson. In the eighth Benny cut loose with the heavy artillery and started to batter Hommey to the boards. A smashing right hand punch to the jaw practically put out Hommey on his feet. Another right hand blow sent Hommey reeling along the ropes. Benny followed with pile driving punches but still the courageous little Italian failed to sink to the canvas. He was helpless, however, and Leonard appealed to the referee to save Hommey from further punishment. Referee Joh told Leonard to "go on."

During the rest of the round the helpless Hommey was battered from pillar to post. Time and again Leonard, setting himself for the punch and putting all of his weight behind the blow, crashed his right hand home. Once Hommey went to his glove tips, but quickly tottered to his feet. The crowd was yelling for Joh to halt the slaughter when the gong rang.

The ninth round was a repetition of the seventh, with Leonard showering Hommey with lefts and rights. One of the blows dropped the Italian for a count of nine. The fans beseeched Joh to end the massacre. The gong rang without Joh taking action.

So earnestly did the fans roar at Joh not to allow the bout to continue that between the ninth and tenth rounds Joh went to Hommey's corner and asked Packy if he wanted the bout stopped. The Italian shook his head, but his manager, Harry Lenny, wisely consented to allow Joh to end the mill.